1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hand-operated devices for transporting or hauling items, such as agricultural materials, and specifically relates to a hand-operated hauling device which is structured to be collapsible for ease of transport and storage.
2. Description of Related Art
Many devices have been developed for transporting or moving materials or items by hand, particularly for moving items in the yard or garden, or in more agricultural-type settings. Such hand-operated devices include wheelbarrows, bale-movers and other wheeled carts. The benefits of such devices is well-known; namely, they allow a person to transport or haul otherwise heavy materials or objects without straining muscles and without having to employ larger equipment.
However, known hand-operated hauling devices are conventionally constructed of heavy materials, such as steel, and/or are large and bulky in construction to render the device particularly suitable for transporting heavy materials like sod or dirt. Consequently, it is difficult to store such bulky hauling devices in a shed or garage when not in use, and it is difficult to pick up such devices to, for example, hang on a hook for out-of-the-way storage. It is additionally difficult to pick up such bulky devices for placing them in a car trunk or truck bed for transporting the hauling device to a new location.
Therefore, it would be advantageous in the art to provide a hand-operated hauling device which is constructed to be sturdy for use in hauling heavy materials or items, but which is also structured to be sufficiently lightweight to be transportable when not in use and which is structured to be easily stored out of the way.